Category: issues

Parent and many educators are becoming “increasingly alarmed by the effect of Internet communication on the writing skills of U.S. teens, who spend an average of 12 hours a week online, according to an America Online survey. Much of that time is spent exchanging ‘instant messages’ with software offered by AOL, Yahoo and MSN. This informal instant communication lends itself to linguistic shortcuts, shoddy grammar and inappropriate or absent punctuation.”

“In recent months, Bay Area peace activists have infused their dissent with creativity, bringing music, elaborate costumes, sculpture, guerrilla theater and performance art to numerous rallies, marches and vigils. The predominance of art has allowed activists to cross language and cultural barriers and has added spunk, humor and powerful visual images to events that used to be filled with long speeches and chanting. At times, the artwork has diffused tense confrontations with police.”

War may be terrible, but it’s good for art, writes Jan Dalley. The 20th Century “produced in the western world a rich array of art inspired by war, and invented or exploited new art forms with which artists of all sorts could express their responses. War is, let’s face it, a great subject. And once the subject was liberated from the constraints of previous centuries – that was, the adherence to right-thinking patriotic norms that demanded unconditional and uncritical support (“my country right or wrong”) – there was a flowering of art in response to conflict.”

New York City’s “Decency Commission is back. But this time “instead of acting as a culture vice squad, their role includes recommending policy, writing reports, and coordinating city, State, and federal agencies. Jitters concerning the return of a Decency Commission are understandable. It was only a few years ago that Rudolph Giuliani reconstituted the long-dormant commission to advise on what kinds of art should get city funds.”

With budget cuts across America, music education programs are being cut. Supporters are rallying to try to save them, but it’s a hard sellRecognizing that parents nationwide are facing the same battle, a coalition of national music groups launched a new Web site this month to help them make their case. SupportMusic.com provides local groups with research and tips.

Plans are coming together for a “Museum of Freedom” to be built as part of a cultural complex at the site of the World Trade Center. “The museum would be part of a two-building cultural complex as conceived by Daniel Libeskind, whose design for the 16-acre site was chosen earlier this year. The second building would house a performing arts center, which would probably become the home for the New York City Opera. In addition to its repertory, the opera company would stage musical theater at the hall that it may want to take on the road.”

The 36-year-old Colorado Council of the Arts faces elimination this week by the state legislature. “During the past few years, there have been attempts to get rid of the council, most notably a proposal to shift its funding to the creation of a state boxing commission. That crisis was resolved when the agency agreed to split its grants equally between metro area arts groups and the 57 counties in the rest of Colorado. Now the planets have aligned to make the council just one of dozens of programs facing gutting or elimination in the scramble to balance the budget.” Oh yes, and if it goes away, the Arts Council won’t be coming back anytime soon. Count on it.

There are six British finalists for the 2008 European Capital of Culture designation. But the honor seems to have less to do with actual culture than an economic shot in the arm. Why? Glasgow, 1990. “Cannily, the run-down Clydeside city used investment in culture as a major tool to revive its flagging economy. It proved, up to a point, that culture could be translated into tourism, business ventures and jobs as well as museums and concert halls.”

Hopes had been high that Ontario’s government would increase the province’s $25 million arts budget this year. But when the budget was announced, there was nothing new for the arts. Arts leaders are disappointed – the amount has stayed the same for the past five years. “We had made some very strong arguments for the value of the arts and the contribution they make to life in Ontario. There appears to be nothing in it for the arts. The community is going to be very disappointed.”